Maximizing Efficiency with AWS Lambda Invocations

Introduction

This blog will discuss invoking an AWS Lambda function from another and how this can improve your application, scalability, and performance.

AWS Lambda is a serverless computing platform from Amazon Web Services that lets you run code without managing the underlying infrastructure.

One interesting feature of AWS Lambda is the ability to trigger a Lambda function from another Lambda function. This is useful in scenarios where you create a workflow or series of events triggered by a specific action. There are two ways to call a Lambda function from another Lambda function: Asynchronous and Synchronous.

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Asynchronous vs. Synchronous Invocations

Asynchronous invocation is invoked when the triggering Lambda function does not wait for a response from the invoked Lambda function. Instead, it immediately returns a response and continues its execution. The invoked Lambda function then runs in the background and does not affect the execution of the triggering Lambda function. This approach is useful when the result of the invoked Lambda function is not required to run the Lambda function or when you want to run multiple Lambda functions simultaneously.

Synchronous invocation is invoked when a triggering Lambda function waits for a response from the invoked Lambda function before continuing with its execution. This approach is useful when the initiating Lambda function needs the result of the invoked Lambda function to execute its logic. You can use synchronous calls, for example, to get the result of an API call before making another API call.

When choosing between synchronous and asynchronous invocations, it’s important to consider the requirements of your application and the desired outcome. Synchronous invocation is required when you need the result of the invoked AWS Lambda function to continue your logic. However, the asynchronous invocation is better if you run multiple Amazon Lambda functions simultaneously or don’t need the results of the Lambda functions called.

From a performance point of view, asynchronous invocations are advantageous because they can handle more requests than synchronous invocations. Asynchronous invocation can also help improve the overall responsiveness of your application by allowing multiple Lambda functions to run simultaneously.

Working of Asynchronous and Synchronous Invocations

This section describes how to set up and use the two types of invocations on AWS Lambda: synchronous and asynchronous.

Synchronous Invocation

Create two AWS Lambda functions and set the appropriate triggers for synchronous invocation. To trigger a second Lambda function from the first AWS Lambda function, use the AWS SDK for Lambda to send a request to the second function. Here is an example in Python:

import boto3
Import json

def first_function(event, context):
#Trigger second function
client = boto3.client(‘lambda’)
Response = client.invoke(
FunctionName = ‘second_funtion’,
InvocationType = ‘RequestResponse’,
Payload = json.dumps(event)
)
#Get response from second function
second_function_response = json.loads(response[‘Payload’].read().decode(‘utf-8))
return second_function_response

import boto3

Import json

def first_function(event, context):

#Trigger second function

client = boto3.client(‘lambda’)

Response = client.invoke(

FunctionName = ‘second_funtion’,

InvocationType = ‘RequestResponse’,

Payload = json.dumps(event)

)

#Get response from second function

second_function_response = json.loads(response[‘Payload’].read().decode(‘utf-8))

return second_function_response

Asynchronous Invocation

To set up an asynchronous invocation, you can use the same process as a synchronous invocation but change the invocation type from “RequestResponse” to “Event”. Here is an example in Python:

import boto3
import json

def first_function(event, context):
#Trigger second function
client = boto3.client(‘lambda’)
Response = client.invoke(
FunctionName = ‘second_funtion’,
InvocationType = ‘Event’,
Payload = json.dumps(event)
)
#Continue processing
return ‘Second funtion triggered asynchronously’

import boto3

import json

def first_function(event, context):

#Trigger second function

client = boto3.client(‘lambda’)

Response = client.invoke(

FunctionName = ‘second_funtion’,

InvocationType = ‘Event’,

Payload = json.dumps(event)

)

#Continue processing

return ‘Second funtion triggered asynchronously’

Conclusion

AWS Lambda’s ability to trigger one Lambda function from another offers many benefits, such as easy setup, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and improved performance. Both asynchronous and synchronous invocations have their benefits and drawbacks, and their implementation depends on the specific use case and resources available. Asynchronous regeneration is generally better for performance and complex tasks, while synchronous regeneration is simpler to implement and useful for tasks that do not require real-time updates.

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FAQs

1. Can I trigger a Lambda function from another AWS service?

ANS: – Yes, you can trigger a Lambda function from another AWS service, such as Amazon S3, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon SNS, etc. Simply create a trigger for the AWS Lambda function in the desired service and configure the appropriate settings.

2. What happens if the invoked function fails?

ANS: – The response will contain an error message if the invoked function fails. If the invocation type is RequestResponse, the error message will be returned to the calling function. If the invocation type is Event, the error message will be logged to Amazon CloudWatch Logs.

3. Which concept is better for performance?

ANS: – Asynchronous regeneration is generally better for performance, allowing the server to handle multiple requests simultaneously without being blocked. However, it also depends on the specific use case and available resources.

WRITTEN BY Raghavendra Santosh Kulkarni

Raghavendra is a skilled Full Stack Developer with expertise in a wide range of technologies. He has a strong working knowledge of AWS and is always looking to learn about new and emerging technologies. In addition to his technical skills, Raghavendra is a highly motivated and dedicated professional, committed to delivering high quality work.